I suppose these next couple of weeks could be considered the calm before another cross country storm is unleashed, it’s a fortnight before the senior leagues kick off and the younger brigade take to the grass again for round two of their season, so a little time to reset. Having said that, there was still some cross country action and another opportunity for the club to get amongst the medals.
A small group travelled east to Long Easton, near Derby, for the British Masters Cross Country Relays, 5 legs of around 2 miles each for 35s and over in 10 year age bands. Derrick Milligan took the first leg bringing the club home in 10th place after a 10.49 lap, Ben Foster moved up a couple of places with 10.31, Ashley Atkinson ran a solid 10.55 to move the club into touching distance of a medal in 5th place, Greg Asbury gained another position with 11.09 and that’s where we stayed with Gary Worral running a rapid 10.18, but no match for the 8 and 9 minute trio ahead. The total time of 53.42 was some 5 minutes of the bronze medal team but good enough to claim a Midlands Masters silver medal on the day, as the British Championships and the Midlands Champs were combined. And fourth best team in the country is no shabby effort.
Elsewhere, there was some mountainy marathon action of the roads in Switzerland in the Lucerne Marathon (although despite the setting, it’s flat around a lake), where Dave Joynson was 2nd Manner M60 and 187th in 3.20.44 and Gill Mitchell was 15th Frauen and 319th overall in 5.44.03. Also over the marathon distance, Danni Braine tackled one of the toughest races over 26.2 miles in the world taking on the Marathon Eryri, or Snowdonia Marathon, covering the lumpy distance in 5.03.16 to take 1553rd place.
Dave Norman
